Learning About Zantigo

Quoted Zantigo (St. Paul, Minnesota) by saundersreed (Atlas Obscura) Founded in Minneapolis 7 years after Taco Bell, Zantigo (named Zapato at that time) had a similar model of rearranging the same array of a few ingredients to fill out a menu of Mexican-American dishes. After growing to 82 restaurants by 1986, Zantigo's parent company merged with it's rival's and within 2 years, all remaining Zantigo locations had been closed or converted to Taco Bells. I do not recall having heard of Zantigo before reading an August 5, 2026 piece in Atlas Obscura about its small revival. According to the article, Zantigo filled the same niche as Taco Bell but went extinct after its parent company merged with Taco Bell’s. By the end of 1988, all Zantigo locations were closed or converted into Taco Bell. But now Zantigo has made a comeback in Minnesota. I think I have only been to Taco Bell once or twice. There were not any near me for a long time, but one popped it within the last couple of years.…